I love going out in the evenings with my friends or family. Usually I don't choose a place to go beforehand, with the exception of memorable events like birthdays. As a result, sometimes it takes me about an hour to decide where to go. Well, to be more precise, it used to take me that much.
It would seem that the simplest way to find a nice and trustworthy place is to turn for help and advice to our friends or family; however, the Google group together with Zagat (provider of consumer survey-based data for restaurants, clubs and other leisure activities) claim they've made it even easier now. You just open your Google+, go to Google+ Local (a new tab on the left-hand side bar) and choose a place where you'd like to go out or meet up with your friends.
What is “inside” the tab?
The tab leads you to a page that shows recommended places in your location with map positioning. With the help of this new feature you will know a lot about any place in your city that got into the Zagat database and has reviews.
Google+ : The Tab Leads To...
If you're not happy with the places Google+ recommends you by default, you can type in your search query in the search bar high up on the page. It comes in handy when you know exactly what to look for.
For example: imagine a situation that you come to London on tour. Your friend recommended you the Dorchester as a place to stay in, but you want more information. You can type “The Dorchester” in the search bar, specify the city (London, United kingdom) and begin the search. You'll see some useful info on the chosen place, including its official site.
Google+ Local: Find Some Specific Place
What's the Use of It?
When you surf through places with Google+ Local you can see their Zagat scores and read customer reviews. Just as if you've asked your friends for opinions about it. If you click on a club, or a restaurant, or any other leisure place, you're taken to a page that holds photos, reviews, Zagat scores and summaries, address, phone number, working hours, official site link and other useful information about the chosen club, restaurant, or anything else.
Google+ Local: The Provided Info
The integration of Google+ Local into other Google services should be mentioned too. When you use Search or Maps to find a place to go, you are shown the same detailed information on the right side of the map as in Google+ Local.
Another great thing about Google+ Local is that no matter where you are at the moment, if you fell like going out to a place you have never been to, you can check out Google+ Local right in your Google Maps app on an Android device.
Google+ Local Tree Grows New Leaves with Time
As it is part of Google+, it is social; hence you and your friends can contribute to its development. By uploading photos and writing opinions, each person can help Google+ Local grow and become more helpful. Individual opinions and ratings are counted and added up to an aggregate score that people see when browsing.
Google+ Local: The Review Window
The scores are determined by user reviews. When you create one, you can rate the place on a 0-to-3 scale. These ratings, averaged and multiplied by 10, form the total Zagat score that we see on Google+ Local pages.
To sum it all up, if you want to choose the best local club to go to with your friends you can now go either way: Google+ Local or ask your friend for opinion – whichever is more handy at the moment.
Picture credit: http://students.iitgn.ac.in; https://plus.google.com
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